Denver's jazz scene took big hits during COVID-19, including the loss of El Chapultepec, Le Cour and Live @ Jack's. But City Park Jazz, which was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, is coming back with nine free shows in 2021.
The series, which launched in 1986, is celebrating its 35th season this year. In the past, concerts regularly drew between 8,000 and 12,000 people to City Park on Sunday evenings. Some would bring in picnics, while others took advantage of the food trucks around the park.
“We couldn’t be more excited right now,” notes Andy Bercaw, president of the City Park Jazz board of directors, in a statement announcing the return of the concerts. “Last year was tough for the whole world, so there’s no need to belabor the heartbreak. But Denver’s been on their game, getting vaccinated and pulling together as a community to lift each other up — and that’s what City Park Jazz is, after all: a celebration of community.”